US Youth Soccer Region IV

Region III punches tickets to the 2009 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Massachusetts

Complete recaps available at championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionIII Video highlights, including finals, available at http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/multimedia/index.asp FRISCO, Texas (June 25, 2009) – US Youth Soccer is proud to announce the 2009 US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Champions and acknowledge their success in the state and regional championships of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. These teams now advance to the third and final leg of the quest for the national championships. Teams from North or South Carolina collected titles in five of the six boys’ age groups and will now advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships. On the girls’ sides, teams from six different states won championships and will now head to Lancaster, Mass., next month with national championship aspirations. Representing US Youth Soccer Region III at the US Youth Soccer National Championships
Girls
Under-14	CASL Spartans Elite Black (NC)
Under-15	Dallas Texans 94 Red (N-TX)
Under-16	Ponte Vedra Storm (FL)
Under-17	GSA Phoenix 92 Red (GA)
Under-18	ESC 91 Black (OK)
Under-19	BUSA 90 (AL)

Boys
Under-14	CASL Elite (NC)
Under-15	SCSA 93 Gold (NC)
Under-16	CESA 92 Premier (SC)
Under-17	Triangle United (NC)
Under-18	DSC 90 Green (SC)
Under-19	NASA 08 Elite (GA)

"Each year, the nation's top players look forward to the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series as teams earn their way from state to regional champions, striving to be one of the top 60 teams in the country playing for the US Youth Soccer National Championship," said Larry Monaco, president of US Youth Soccer. "It was a tremendous event by host North Texas State Soccer Association and congratulations to the more than 184 teams who advanced to represent their state and to those who will continue their quest to be named US Youth Soccer National Champions.”

The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.

The National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions, US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, for boys and girls teams in multiple age groups as teams earn their way from the top teams in their state to the regional championship tournaments. US Youth Soccer State Champions and selected wildcard teams are eligible to compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups from each regional event will converge in the finals in Massachusetts.

The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships. The Under-19 Boys age group as the National Champion will hoist the McGuire Cup. This is the 74^th anniversary of the storied cup.

Annually the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation's top collegiate coaches the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country.

The dates and locations for the remaining Regional Championships and the 2009 US Youth Soccer National Championships are:

US Youth Soccer Region I Championships | Barboursville, W.Va.
Barboursville Soccer Complex, Huntington YMCA Kennedy and Scott Orthopedics Soccer Complex
Round Robin: July 2-5
Semis: June 6
Finals: July 7

US Youth Soccer National Championships | Lancaster, Mass.
Citizens Bank Field at Progin Park
Round Robin: July 21-24
Finals: July 25-26

To learn more about the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and see the results from all of the regional competitions log on to http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org, the online home for the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, providing the latest in news, information and more.